Nurturing a Potentially Gifted Child

By Inderbir Kaur Sandhu, Ph.D

Q:
My son is 3.5yrs exactly. He has been reading very well since he was
two. My husband and I have had him tested a few times to see if he was
on the Autism Spectrum. They (Behavioral/language/Occupational Therapy
professionals) told us he is not at all on the spectrum but that he may
be a gifted and talented toddler.

I am trying to find out more information regarding my child (a 3yr old),
so I guess my question is, should I be getting him an IQ test now (in
terms of finding the right school for him to attend), and is it really
normal or abnormal for a kid his age to read. I believe he has
self-taught himself to read, and there are his other interests and
behaviors that I have been told may point to a gifted and talented
resolution. I have yet to see an actual gifted and talented 3yr old yet
so I have no comparison at this time. Any information or feedback would
be helpful. I just want him to be as normal and rounded as he is suppose
to be I guess.

A:
From your description, it appears that your son could be a potentially
gifted child. Reading very well at the age of two is not at all typical
- it is indeed highly advanced especially if self-taught.

I am not sure if he is at any learning/day-care centre. If he is, you
may need to get some help from the centre itself. Speak to one of his
teachers (who appears supportive and one whom he likes) to observe him
and give him more challenging work.

Testing may be necessary if you strongly feel that could help him in
school placement eventually. Evidence from a formal testing appears to
help teachers be more supportive with extra enrichment activities for
the child. However, refrain from too many testing - only when required.

At home, keep him stimulated most of the time. Look for learning
materials that appear interesting and challenging to him. Give him
projects to accomplish, e.g., when he has read a book; get him to review
orally, say, on what he thought of the book and how he would change the
story. They love such challenges and it gives them a sense of ownership
of the story. Have a lot of outdoor activities; introduce him to the
world of insects, plants, etc. Children usually get fascinated with such
things so you can also get him to relate his experiences to his friends
– it's two-way so chances are that his friends will be engaged as well
and his social skills improve with increased mingling.

Do find out if there are other parents who may be facing a similar
situation. You can team up with parents and meet on a monthly basis to
discuss issues in raising a highly able child. Nothing can be more
effective than support from other parents as personal experience is the
best teacher. Check if there are any resources for gifted children in
your country (e.g., National Association for Gifted Children, NAGC). These associations are a great support for
parents.

Last but not least, keep yourself updated with the latest information on
gifted education on the web. You may want join in as member and
subscribe to newsletters from national associations for the gifted for a
small fee. This would also enable you to hook up with other parents from
different countries. Today there are many Facebook groups that support
gifted & talented children. You may want to do a search and get some
support.

You have a very special child and you would need to make an effort to
help him in his journey. This is not going to be a breeze for both your
son and you, but I assure you that it will be well worth it. All the
best!